House Sends Rape Kit Bill to Gov’s Desk

The Texas House unanimously passed a bill that requires police departments to submit rape kits to crime labs within 30 days of the evidence being collected.

Sen. Wendy Davis said the aim of her bill was to keep evidence from sitting in evidence lockers at police departments, instead of being submitted to crime labs for testing.

“Victims of sexual assault submit to these evidence kits with the belief that they will be tested and used as evidence on their behalf,” Davis said. “While testing will not undo a horrific event, it could lead many of these cases one step closer to justice.”

Victims advocates applauded passage of the bill.

“The thousands of rape victims who were courageous enough to endure a forensic exam deserve for the evidence to be processed,” said Annette Burrhus-Clay, Executive Director of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault.

While the bill will mandate that police departments clear out the backlogs of rape kit evidence in their lockers, it won’t do anything to speed processing of rape kits at crime labs across the state.

The Houston Police Department crime lab has long had problems clearing its significant backlog of untested rape kits.

“I’m not sure it would really address the thing that was related to the Houston problem,” said Assistant Harris County District Attorney Kevin Petroff. “I think the backlog is really on the fact that the crime labs, both HPD’s and the Medical Examiners Office, are just inundated with requests for analysis.”

Houston Police Department spokesman Kese Smith said “contact us when it becomes law… or if it becomes law.”